Delinquent Flat Rate Account Options

Dear Valued Constituent:

As long as you have water-righted acreage, you are legally responsible for paying the annual EBID assessments. If you fail to pay assessments, you are not entitled to use water. However, if you do not use water, you are still liable for the assessment every year. EBID offers several options to resolve this matter.

1. Pay the balance due in full. If you wish to retain the water rights on your property, you must pay the full amount of the cumulative assessments. Once paid, you will be entitled to irrigate your property again with EBID water. Until the assessments are paid, you cannot use EBID water.

2. Voluntary Suspension of the water rights on your property. The District does allow, under certain circumstances, the voluntary suspension of water rights on your land and their transfer to other lands within District boundaries. This is a simple process, requiring your signature on the EBID Voluntary Suspension Form agreeing to the suspension of water rights on your property. This process releases you of the debt created by unpaid assessments and terminates the water rights on your property. Following the approval of a suspension and transfer by the EBID Board of Directors, you would no longer be liable for the EBID assessment on your property and the water rights appurtenant to your property will be terminated. (Voluntary suspensions do not apply to LID assessments).

3. Stream Adjudication. Elephant Butte Irrigation District urges you to consider the importance of keeping the surface water rights secure while the Lower Rio Grande stream adjudication case is under litigation. Failure to pay the annual assessments can certainly weaken the case in upholding the surface water rights attached to your property.

By paying the balance of assessments in full, or suspending the water rights, you will save the interest accruing on your account and maintain the water rights. Please contact EBID at 526-6671 as soon as possible to make arrangements for payment of your account or voluntary suspension of your water rights.